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Kyle Sandilands - Source: TV2 -
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ONE News Australia correspondent Steve Marshall looks back at gaffes by radio shock jocks after the latest foot-in-mouth jibe by loudmouth Kyle Sandilands that has seen him booted out of the studio again
So here we go again. Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, the bloke with a fat ego and an even bigger mouth has hit the headlines again for all the wrong reasons. His latest on air gaffe has seen him suspended from the microphone for the second time in a month.
The loudmouth will be off air for a couple of weeks while radio bosses wait for an advertising backlash over his latest jibe. Broadcasting from LA, Sandilands quipped that Australia's daughter of comedy Magda Szubanski could lose more weight if she was put in a concentration camp . Not only did Sandilands insult Magda, who is currently the face of Weight Watchers in Australia for losing a life threatening 25kilos, but she is also of Polish decent!
Many in Australia believe Sandilands has this time gone too far and there's no way back for him to the studio. But I've got my doubts. After all, the word Shock jock is a slang term for entertainers who attract attention using humour that a significant part of the audience find's offensive. So keeping this in mind, does Kyle Sandilands, whose employer quietly enjoys his ability to offend listeners, which ironically boost ratings, deserve to go?
Well, let's turn back the clock and see how the latest Sandilands scandal stacks up against other shock jock efforts of the past.
In 1974, American DJ Larry Lujack kicked off a long list of shock jock antics, when he responded to a fans letter by saying he'd play more records by the late Jim Croce when Jim comes into the studio to make some more. Lujack apologised but kept his job.
Kiwi mic man Iain Stables could have got us all nuked in 2000, when he prank called US customs and got his radio mates searched. Seeing the seriousness of his crime, Stables went to court dressed in a Superman outfit and was fined 15 hundred bucks.
The axe came down on Dallas based radio duo Kramer and Twitch, who told listeners Britney Spears had died in a car accident in 2001.
In 2002, New York based DJs Opie and Anthony had their show cancelled when they dared couples to have sex in public places. One couple took the dare too far and got cuddly in St Patrick's Cathedral.
One of the swiftest industry dismissals was that of two US DJs in 2004. They lost their marbles and played the audio of the murder of the kidnapped Nic berg in Iraq, accompanied by music and laughter. Both Shock jocks were fired the same day.
And who can forget the fallout from the prank call BBC duo Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand made to the actor who played Manuel in Fawlty Towers, suggesting Brand had had his way with his granddaughter. Some 27,000 complaints lead to Brand's resignation.
So, has Aussie Shock jock Kyle Sandilands gone too far with his weight loss concentration camp comments?
He's only recently returned to the studio from suspension following an on air stunt which resulted in a 12-year-old girl revealing she was sexually assaulted . That incident cost him a million dollar contract as a judge on Australian idol.
Read more of Steve Marshall's blogs
So, does Sandilands deserve to be booted from the radio booth? After all, he is employed to shock and jock. Have your say on the messageboard below.
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Post new commentRedLady said on 2009-05-30 @ 07:36 NZDT: Report abusive post
I prefer the Shankley quote: " Even If Everton were playing down the bottom of my garden, I'd draw the curtains.” Hahah. Great blog and good luck to the Toffees!